In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the Democratic leadership and the full membership of the House of Representatives, advocacy groups urged lawmakers to oppose the proposal for “Smart, Effective Border Security,” which, they write, calls for funding of “various invasive surveillance technologies that would intrude on the liberties of travelers, immigrants, and people who live near the border,” The Washington Post reports. The letter expresses concern with risk-based targeting technologies, mass surveillance, license plate readers, and biometric and DNA screening. “The prospect of the U.S. government building a surveillance wall that vacuums up the private information of immigrants and travelers and U.S. citizens alike is a menace to privacy,” Electronic Frontier Foundation Staff Attorney Adam Schwartz said. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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